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Fakel outlast Resovia for Club Worlds Bronze

Egor Kliuka tips the ball over the Asseco Resovia Rzeszow triple block of Mateusz Mika, David Smith and Jakub Jarosz as Fakel Novy Urengoy claim bronze at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship in Czestochowa.

It is the first time since 2012 that a Russian representative is not amongst the top two, but Fakel secured the country's ninth medal in the history of the competition, after a gold, two silver and two bronze by Zenit Kazan, a gold by Belogorie Belgorod and a silver each by CSKA Moscow (as USSR) and Lokomotiv Novosibirsk.

The grand final, an all-Italian affair between Cucine Lube Civitanova and Diatecx Trentino, follows in Czestochowa.

Six hands on the ball, as Marcin Mozdzonek and Damian Schulz try to block Dmitry Volkov in bronze medal match action Sunday evening at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship.

Fakel kept up with Resovia until 18-17 in the first, when the home side broke away with a 6-1 run to reach set point, which Mateusz Mika promptly put away with a kill on the first opportunity for a sideout.

But as has happened before in this tournament, Resovia had no duration and Fakel built an early lead in the second to comfortably stay ahead throughout and get back in the game.

An early Resovia lead in the third quickly evaporated and the errors started creeping in. Fakel regained control and sped off to quickly reach set point at 24-21 with a kill from the middle by Andrey Ananev on a free ball. Dmitry Volkov finally brought it home with a cross-court spike on Fakel's second sideout attempt.

It was the same all over again in the fourth, as Fakel came from behind and with Egor Kliuka serving made a 5-0 run from 15-17 down to go ahead 20-17. It was just barely enough. Resovia did briefly go ahead again on an ace by Thibault Rossard for 22-23, but Fakel came back to reach match point at 24-23 and immediately sealed the bronze with a block.

When the final count was in, Rossard emerged top scorer of the game on 17 points, but Fakel was better balanced with 14 from Artur Udrys, 13 from Volkov and 10 from Kliuka.

Fakel Novy Urengoy players get coach Camillo Placi in the air as they all celebrate winning the bronze medal at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship in Czestochowa.